TY - JOUR
T1 - Prospects for Payments for Ecosystem Services in the Brazilian Pantanal: A scenario analysis
AU - Schulz, Christopher
AU - Ioris, Antônio A.R.
AU - Martin-Ortega, Julia
AU - Glenk, Klaus
PY - 2015/3/13
Y1 - 2015/3/13
N2 - The present study investigates the prospects for a large-scale implementation of Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland. Despite increasing environmental threats associated with development pressures and the growing interest of public and private organizations, no PES schemes are currently in place in the Pantanal. Through an exploratory scenario analysis, this article determines the prospects for PES in the area. The findings suggest that a large-scale implementation is unlikely, as this would require much higher levels of environmental awareness among local decision makers and low substitution rates of ecosystem services by technology. Furthermore, strong socioeconomic inequality between inhabitants of the Pantanal lowlands and wealthy farmers of the neighboring uplands means that potential suppliers of ecosystem services would face very high opportunity costs to participate in PES schemes. The research findings are also relevant to other environmentally sensitive regions experiencing rapid economic growth and weak environmental regulation.
AB - The present study investigates the prospects for a large-scale implementation of Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland. Despite increasing environmental threats associated with development pressures and the growing interest of public and private organizations, no PES schemes are currently in place in the Pantanal. Through an exploratory scenario analysis, this article determines the prospects for PES in the area. The findings suggest that a large-scale implementation is unlikely, as this would require much higher levels of environmental awareness among local decision makers and low substitution rates of ecosystem services by technology. Furthermore, strong socioeconomic inequality between inhabitants of the Pantanal lowlands and wealthy farmers of the neighboring uplands means that potential suppliers of ecosystem services would face very high opportunity costs to participate in PES schemes. The research findings are also relevant to other environmentally sensitive regions experiencing rapid economic growth and weak environmental regulation.
KW - Brazil
KW - environmental conservation
KW - Pantanal
KW - Payments for Ecosystem Services
KW - regional development
KW - scenario analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84922684081&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1070496514548580
DO - 10.1177/1070496514548580
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84922684081
SN - 1070-4965
VL - 24
SP - 26
EP - 53
JO - Journal of Environment and Development
JF - Journal of Environment and Development
IS - 1
ER -